Darkest Mysteries Online — The Strange and Unusual Podcast 2025
All I know Is That I'm Never Going On A Trip Alone Again
21 Dec 2025
All I know Is That I'm Never Going On A Trip Alone AgainBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/darkest-mysteries-online-the-strange-and-unusual-podcast-2025--5684156/support.Darkest Mysteries Online
Chapter 1: What led to the decision to take a solo road trip?
Hello, I'm welcome, stories all the time. Glad you are here. Let's get into it. I had been counting down the days for the last ten days. Ten long days until I finally got to leave for my second solo road trip. Another trip to Kansas to see my grandparents. The tenth to fifth day passed fairly quickly. On the fourth day, I cleaned my car inside and out.
On the third day, I packed all the entertainment items, and the second day, I packed all the essentials, and finally, on the last day of the day of the trip, I wished I had never left my house. I started off well enough, I got up bright and early.
At about 5.30 in the morning, too jazzed to possibly sleep anymore, I took a shower, brushed my teeth, washed my face, picked out a cozy outfit, and made sure I had extra masks in my car, just in case. I had coffee and threw some in a travel mug. I was floating on cloud nine with excitement. It didn't take long to get my things into the trunk.
Chapter 2: What preparations were made before the trip began?
I was a light backer.
Coffee in tow, podcast ready for playing.
I headed to the gas station. It was still early in the morning and it was a Sunday, so it was pretty vacant in the lot. I pulled up to the pump closest to the door. I strolled inside. I wasn't in a rush. I decided it was probably a good idea to head the restroom even though I wasn't positive I had to go.
I didn't want to stop again until I got out of Ohio and into Indiana makes better time that way. The first thing I noticed when I got in the bathroom was that it was occupied by someone. There were no stalls in this small gas station bathroom. It was just a room with a toilet.
and as Cynx startled I apologized and began to excuse myself the person filling the space was a young woman presumably around my age she had plain brown hair very basic looking clothing and no readily identifiable facial features before I could get all the way out of the bathroom she turned and spoke to me wait she said please don't leave do I know you I'm not sure why I asked that it was the first thing that came to mind no I don't think so you don't look familiar to me she replied wiping her eyes dry from the tears I hadn't originally noticed
She continued. I just don't want to walk back to my car alone. There was a man outside when I got here who wouldn't stop harassing me. That was not the answer I was expecting. Again speaking before thinking, I said.
A lot was empty when I walked in. All I saw was a car by another pump. And a car parked near the employee entrance. She pleaded. Please, I'm begging you. She began to cry again, even shaking a little. I've seen him around many places lately and I don't know how he keeps finding me. Can you just walk me to my car? You know, act like we're friends. I hardly hesitated to answer.
Of course I can, and it's not acting. Anyone in need is a friend of mine. We arranged for her to wait near the cash register so I could use the restroom myself and make my purchases in preparation for the trip ahead of me. Once I finished opening the restroom, I grabbed an extra coffee, bottled water, and headed to the cashier's counter to pay for those and my gas.
A full tank would definitely get me out of state. As I approached, I silently appraised the gas station attendant. She was a large woman husky, and very tall, not too large for her size, but large because of her size. Does that make sense? She had on a red apron, and even a hairnet over her ponytail, which was in a bun. I had to stop myself from laughing.
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Chapter 3: What unexpected encounter happened at the gas station?
I turned my attention to the girl. What's your name, Jane? She said, Shiloh. You always ache. I said in turn, just laugh a bit and tell me about something funny that happened at work while we walked to your
car and she did exactly that while it's been so good catching up with you Erica she says a little extra lovely please call me when you get there she reached out to have me as I helped a bat I whispered make sure to get in your car and leave before I finished pumping my gas as we separated from our hug I had a second thought I almost forgot I got in your number and I don't know that I gave it to you I pulled out my phone prompting her to do the same
I punched my number into her phone and called myself. I immediately sent a text that said, and text me when you get home, just so I know. We hugged once more, and this time she gave me a genuine smile. I headed to my car, stowing my few purchases inside the car. I saw her pulling away before I even had the chance to start pumping the gasoline. Felt a bit eerie.
Standing in the parking lot all by myself, wondering if there was a man around some corner watching me. As she said, he'd done to her. Nothing eventful happened in the time span it took me to fill up. So I got in the car, punched a coordinates into my GPS, and I was off, shaking off the hot encounter. I hunkered down for some quality time with myself. That first leg of the trip was a breeze.
I listened to my favorite podcast, which kept my mind very busy. It helped make the driving not seem so long. I finished both coffers, and I just cracked open the water bottle as I crossed out of Ohio and into Indiana. I stopped at the first rest area in the state. On my last trip, I was full of anxiety about not getting lost, having enough gas, and keeping a proper time schedule.
This time around, I was making a point to not be so anxious. I'd already done it once, so I knew I could do it again. This time, I intended on enjoying my stops, appreciating the fact that I was driving through multiple states, onto my own, and basking in the happy memories that I was able to create for myself. First, I snapped a selfie with a welcome to Indiana sign.
I went inside, grabbed a few brochures, so I had something to use for scrapbooking. I saw the attendant behind the counter and approached. She was an older woman, had to be in her late fifties or early sixties. She had white curly bouncy hair, a red vest over it, a white long-sleeved waffle shirt. Finishing off the ensemble was a pearly white smile that I swear could have blinded me.
Hello, welcome to our beautiful home state, she said. Thanks, first time stretching my legs today, I said, laughing as I bounced in place. Where are you headed, she asked in tons of sighs, said enthusiastically. Wow, and where are you headed from, she inquired. Ohio only just got started, I replied. Oh yes, we've got a bit to go still, she said in agreement. I suppose so, I asked.
Where the restroom was located, as I had a lot to drink and she informed me I'd have to go to the next to exit and stop at the gas station as they didn't have one. I guess I'd have to wait. I headed back to my car. I made a point to walk slowly so I really could stretch out my legs.
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Chapter 4: How did the first Jane impact the narrator's journey?
Plus, I didn't want to stop again until I got out of Indiana and into Illinois. Even though this is more of a pleasure trip, I still wanted to keep good timing. First thing I noticed when I got in the bathroom was that it was occupying. There were no stalls in the small gas station bathroom. It was just a room with a toilet and a sink. I was very startled.
It appeared almost exactly the same as the gas station I stopped at back in Ohio. I slowly began apologizing to the girl at the sink and began to excuse myself. She had plain brown hair, very basic looking clothing, and no readily identifiable facial features. It was uncanny. She was practically identical to Jane before I could get all the way out of the bathroom. She turned and spoke to me.
Wait, she said, please don't leave. Why not? I asked. I was positive. I didn't know her. I had no friends. They were in India. I had a dude I knew from somewhere and didn't look familiar to me, but I recognized who wiped in her eyes dry from the days I had immediately noticed this time. She continued, I just don't want to walk back to my clock alone. There was a man outside when I got here.
We didn't stop asking me this. That same thing Jane had said to me would for a while consider an association and that it was too specific to Athentice. And one day I decided to give her the same response I gave Jane just a few hours ago. The lot was empty when I walked in. All I saw was
at our vine at the pump and at our park near their bloody entrance she pleaded just like to end up please invading them she began to fire at anything shaking a little I seen him around many places lately and I don't know if that is it's finding me then he just wanted me to make our new out like we're friends I estimated for a long time before that's when I was pretty quick that'll better and seen a similar for situation as was what my conscious was getting the better of
me and I didn't have the heart to simply abandon a splitting moment because I happened to have already held someone out today and should always try to do unbedeuted day but that doesn't mean to only do unbedeuted already apart we are in for a delight near the resistance so I had finished my business just like I had within I finished very quickly in the bathroom and just as quickly go up the law of rebel I needed the energy but I wanted to get the elevator that I sat in that praised the last station attendant as I approached the tent as she was a lawless
woman asked her in return not to laws for her size, but laws because of her size she had on a red apron, and even in it over a point of tail which was in abundance, time I was not stifling, love I was growing from perfect pound, as she was in his act of visiting from a higher water, there I will see the same as such kind of people in the same situations, in two different states, my name is, she said, as I sat my things on it, and, and really the amount of gas I needed to know this girl, she pointed at the second woman I had met today, and since did not intervene this time around, I said, and I said, I would know this other was just letting her know I'm
the middle of her road trip, I'd decided to tip the sort of road trip she may well edit, as I replied, and obviously she looked far away last, and thought, well, she nodded her head, well, we differ, like they're pretty, and the women in Irvine are happy, but I'm even, I don't know, and thanks for the warning, I said, son, she gave me this, that warning, they are the attendant of the mad, and they used to add in, it's the wildest nowadays, what was the repetitive,
conversation really as weird as I thought it was I noticed that she stared at bathroom doll number two in myself as we visited the building with her arms crossed just like before a new bathroom bill and I looked slowly and politely not saying odd until we reached her heart I turned my attention to the girl what's her name Jane she said sorry also I said in turn and I convinced her that this had to be some kind of a lava weight pant and it was working I was scared out of my words maybe we have met before now that I've seen her but you look familiar in a main sense familiar to she just stood and stared at me for a while until eventually she saw where it's been so but I've seen her
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Chapter 5: What were the similarities between the encounters with the Janes?
It was pretty vacant, just like the first two, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that the two cars in the lot looked the same as the first two, and were parked in the same locations. Half the day had passed since I left for my trip, so there should be more people filling the space. I pulled up to the pump closest to the door.
I really needed to go to the bathroom, but the feeling in my gut was telling me I was going to regret it if I'd done. The logical side of me knew that I'd be a decent amount of time to get from Illinois to Missouri, and logic won. I made my way to the bathroom. The first thing I noticed when I got in the bathroom was that it was occupied. It was just a room with a toilet, a sink.
I just felt numb at this point. It was a mirror image of the gas station I stopped at in the previous two states. I did not apologize to the girl at the sink this time. She had plain brown hair, very basic looking clothing, and no readily identifiable facial features. So Jane and Gin were not twins, but triplets across three states.
My brain was trying very hard to rationalize everything I was seeing. I turned as quickly as possible to leave. Before I could get all the way out of the bathroom, she turned and spoke to me.
Wait. She said, please don't leave. Keeping my eyes down and not looking at her, I replied, no, it's alright. This is a single-use bathroom. I can't wait outside.
Wiping her eyes dry from the tears, I already assumed she had been crying. She quickly replied, I just don't want to walk back to my car alone. There was a man outside when I got here who wouldn't stop harassing me. No, absolutely not. My brain was starting to shut down by this point and there was no way three identical dolls in three separate states were being stopped by three separate men.
My brain refused to accept this information not missing very far away from home.
and I don't want to get involved in any trouble again I tend to leave she stopped me with her words pleading pleasing begging as she began to cry again even shaking a little I've seen him around many places lately and I don't know how he keeps finding me can he just walk me to my car you know that like we're friends I was so angry with myself all I wanted to do was run away ignore her but she looked so genuine scared fine I'll walk with you to your pub whatever you know that I no needs to have a conversation with me instead of whatever this is is someone
paying how much I'd been paid, my paranoia was quickly turning into anger, I waited for her to answer me, and she just stood unblinking looking at me, we arranged for her to wait near the cash register so I could finish up half of the course, at this point I was thirsty but didn't want to give myself a reason to need to use the restroom again.
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Chapter 6: How did the narrator react to the strange occurrences during the trip?
Plain Jane was gone pretty quickly, just as before. When I got into my car, my phone dinged with a new text message. Not to my surprise.
It was a group text including myself and all three Janes. Jane number two finally chimed in. But her text was the same as Jane number one had sent. Meet at home. Thanks for help this AM. Let me know when you get to Kansas. I was fuming and near my breaking point. I typed back a text with thumbs of fury. I don't know who any of you are, but leave me alone.
There is no way I met three Janes in three states in one day. I sat and waited for a moment. The typing bubbles appeared on my phone and I felt my anger raging. Jane number two responded.
How hot the drive getting to you, Erica? I don't know who else is Jane, but I hope you get there safe. I sat for about 10 minutes waiting for either of the other two to respond. No typing bubbles, no message dings, nothing. I sent another message. Explain how there are now four numbers in this text group. Then I waited for what seemed like forever nothing.
I did not return to my podcast for the next stretch of the drive. I had reasoned with myself that perhaps the whole podcast I was listening to for almost eight hours was getting to me, and that I had somehow over-exaggerated the extent of the interactions. I had, yes, it was improbable that this was all an organic course of events for the day, but not impossible.
I forced myself to listen to the soothing lo-fi music as I drove. I kept
myself hydrated I practiced deep breathing techniques I needed to let it go I only needed to get through Missouri and then I'd be in Kansas and then I'd be safe with my grandparents before I knew it after what felt like forever I crossed the state line I did not want to stop the pleasure aspect of my trip was no longer about enjoying the scenery and the various states I was traveling through my pleasure would not come until I was finished driving and out of my car to my detriment Missouri was the longest stretch of the drive and I was forced to stop for gas
So I resigned to stick to the original plan. I pulled into the Missouri Welcome Center. At that point, even though it absolutely terrified me, I knew what was going to happen when I walked inside. I was resigned to this fact. So I took a deep breath, got out of the car and stretched my legs. I surveyed the landscape around me, dragging my feet.
I even went and took a selfie with the Welcome to Missouri sign. As I was about to walk into the building, I noticed that the trees, shrubs, flowers, grass, birds, butterflies, clouds, everything looked super familiar. I opened up the photo's application on my phone and looked at the pictures from the first two stops identical now as I concluded it was not possible. My tear rose once again.
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